HOOVER, Alabama -- HOOVER, Ala. -- No. 11 seed Texas A&M (37-19) eliminated No. 6 seed Vanderbilt (31-25) with a 3-1 win in Game 1 of the SEC baseball tournament.
This is the second time in the past three tournaments the Aggies have eliminated the Commodores.
Texas A&M starting pitcher Kaylor Chafin (5-0) was a little shaky after a 1:03 rain delay in the second, but found his stride in the third, retiring nine of the 10 batters he faced through the fifth inning.
Chafin (6 IP, ER, 5K) had only thrown five innings in four appearances in the month of May.
Texas A&M junior Nolan Hoffman closed out the game with three scoreless innings on his way to a conference-high 13th save.
Chafin allowed one run off two hits in the bottom of the second, giving Vanderbilt a 1-0 lead.
Vanderbilt lead-off batter Julian Infante got on base with a single. Chafin struck out Ethan Paul but then advanced Infante to second on a balk. Infante advanced to third on a Jayson Gonzalez groundout before an Austin Martin RBI single brought in the first score of the game. Chafin then walked Pat Demarco before retiring JJ Bleday.
Texas A&M tied the game 1-1 in the top of the fifth when a Cole Bedford RBI single brought Wingate home, who had reached base on a right-field single. Outfielder Zach Deloach hit a left-field single next, advancing Bedford to second.
The Aggies go-ahead run came off a throwing error by Paul from second base, bringing Bedford across the plate to give Texas A&M a 2-1 lead.
Texas A&M's Michael Helman added another run in the seventh with a single RBI that brought junior George Janca home.
The Commodores hit 8-of-34 (.235) but left eight runners on base.
This is the second consecutive year Vanderbilt has lost its tournament opener.
UP NEXT: The Aggies face No. 3 seed Georgia in the first game of double-elimination play. The game is scheduled for 10:30 am ET Wednesday on SEC Network.
